Evidence suggests that Active Learning (AL) and Active Learning Spaces (ALSs) have the potential to improve student learning outcomes. In this study, the student experiences of AL and ALSs in four classes in mathematics and statistics at a Norwegian university are examined through classroom observations, surveys, and interviews. The student…

This study employs a cross-case analysis in order to explore the demands and opportunities that arise when information problem-solving tasks are introduced into college mathematics classes. Professors at three universities collaborated with me to develop statistics-related activities that required students to engage in research outside the…

This article explores the perspectives of three senior managers in higher education institutions in England regarding their mathematics and statistics support provision. It does so by means of a qualitative case study that draws upon the writing of Ronald Barnett about the identity of an "ecological" university, along with metaphors…

Statistics pervades everyone's lives, whether it is through media coverage, reading reports, weighing up internal risks or evaluating decisions. Most managers are swamped by endless targets, dashboards and spreadsheets, but few organisations have enough employees with statistical skills to support the requirement for evidence based decision…

The connection between mathematics and statistics is an important aspect in understanding college students' learning of statistics because studies have shown relationships among mathematics attitudes and performance and statistics attitudes. Statistics attitudes, in turn, are related to performance in statistics courses. Little research has been…

The ubiquity of mobile devices demands the exploitation of their potentials in distance and face-to-face teaching, as well for complementing textbooks in printed or electronic format. There is a strong need to develop innovative resources that open up new dimensions of learning and teaching through interactive and platform-independent content.…

As literature has reported, it is usual that university students in statistics courses, and even statistics teachers, interpret the confidence level associated with a confidence interval as the probability that the parameter value will be between the lower and upper interval limits. To confront this misconception, class activities have been…

Deborah Nolan is Professor of Statistics and holds the Zaffaroni Family Chair in Undergraduate Education at the University of California-Berkeley, where she has also served as Associate Dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. She is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. This interview…

This article describes an assessment activity that can show students how much they intuitively understand about statistics, but also alert them to common misunderstandings. How the activity can be used formatively to help improve students' conceptual understanding of analysis of variance is discussed. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

Blind students are bound to make up a very small part of the population most university lecturers will encounter during their careers. Research to date shows that good communication between staff and student improves the chances of a successful outcome for both parties. The research does show, however, that the exercise seems to be one of…

This cross-cultural study investigated the relationship between attitudes toward statistics (ATS) and course achievement (CA) among Japanese college students. The sample consisted of 135 male and 134 female students from the first two-year liberal arts program of a four-year college in Tokyo, Japan. Attitudes about statistics were measured using…

Place-based mathematics education (PBME) has the potential to engage students with the mathematics inherent in the local land, culture, and community. However, research has identified daunting barriers to this pedagogy, especially in abstract mathematics courses such as algebra and beyond. In this study, 15 graduates of a doctoral program in rural…

Mathematics is often portrayed as an "abstract" cerebral subject, beyond the reach of many. In response, research with digital technology has led to innovative design in which mathematics can be experienced much like everyday phenomena. This lecture examines how careful design can "phenomenalise" mathematics and support not only engagement but…

This article discusses an activity designed to encourage writing to learn in mathematics. There were three stages of data collection. An assessment, requiring basic algebra only, was completed by 118 undergraduates from statistics and calculus courses. Students were given summaries of all participant responses, along with the correct answers.…

The theme of the 39th proceedings of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME-NA) conference was "Synergy at the Crossroads: Future Directions for Theory, Research, and Practice." The metaphor of crossroads was inspired by the conference venue--the historic Indianapolis Union…